Abbott dig at Turnbull

TONY Abbott has taken a swipe at Malcolm Turnbull as the deposed PM prepares to leave Parliament, declaring “the era of the political assassin is over”.

Mr Abbott has dismissed calls to also leave Parliament, saying he is “not retiring” and is a “young man”.

“I still think I have a lot of public life left in me,” he said.

The backbencher said Mr Turnbull would be remembered mostly for “the way he got into office and the way he got out of office”.

Mr Abbott said despite a horror drop in yesterday’s Newspoll results, the Government was “better off today than it was”.